Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief admits Russia goes on its largest offensive

The Russian Army is conducting the most powerful offensive since the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in his Telegram channel following a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic Karel Řehka.

Photo: минобороны.рф by Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, CC BY 4.0

"I informed my Czech colleagues about the situation on the front line, which remains difficult. Active military actions, which continue in certain areas, require constant replenishment of resources of Ukrainian units,” he wrote.

Syrskyi also said that he considers the Czech Republic a loyal ally of Ukraine. According to him, the republic initiated, among other things, the creation of a coalition to develop the capabilities of Ukrainian military equipment.

On November 1, Ukrainian analytical resource DeepState reported that the Russian Armed Forces were advancing in six sections of the front.

Russia takes 12 settlements in DPR in one week

Since the beginning of the year, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the capture of dozens of settlements in the Donetsk People's Republic, including large settlements such as Avdiivka and Vuhledar. On November 2, the military department reported the capture of the villages of Kurakhovka in the DPR and Pershotravnevoe in the Kharkiv region. In total, the Russian forces have captured 12 settlements this week including two cities (Selidovo and Gornyak).

Earlier this week, Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmitry Marchenko spoke about the crumbling front in Donbass.

"I will not reveal a military secret if I say that our front has crumbled," he said.

According to the general, the AFU suffer from ammo shortages, command issues and a lack of manpower.

The New York Times wrote that the Russian troops took control of about 160 square miles of territory in October (414 sq. km).

Meanwhile, Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine if the AFU withdraw their troops from the territory of the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June. Among other conditions for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, Ukraine has to renounce its NATO membership ambition and lift international sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky found Putin's conditions an ultimatum.